Julian A. Oldmeadow

Attachment style, social skills, and Facebook use amongst adults

Research suggests that online communication may benefit those high in social anxiety. The current study examined Facebook use from the perspective of adult attachment theory, exploring relationships between attachment anxiety and avoidance and Facebook use. Social skills have been found to be related to attachment style and internet use thus we also examined the role of these skills. A diverse sample of adult participants (N=617; 50.1% female) completed a self report questionnaire measuring attachment dimensions, social skills, and Facebook use and experience. In line with predictions grounded in attachment theory, we found that individuals with high attachment anxiety used Facebook more frequently, were more likely to use it when feeling negative emotions and were more concerned about how others perceived them on Facebook. High attachment avoidance was related to less Facebook use, less openness and less positive attitudes towards Facebook. These relationships remained when social skills were controlled. These results suggest that Facebook may serve attachment functions and provide a basis for understanding how online communication may be related to attachment styles.

You Are What You Listen To: Young People's Stereotypes about Music Fans

Research suggests that young people use music to express themselves and to make claims about their identities. The current work considered the possible consequences of using music in this way. Using a sample of 80 British young adults, we aimed to replicate and extend previous research on the stereotypes that young people have about fans of various musical genres. It was hypothesized that individuals attribute similar psychological characteristics and social categories to fans of certain styles of music and that those distinct associations are generalizable. Results indicated that judges agreed on both the psychological (personality, personal qualities and values) and social (ethnicity and social class) characteristics of music fans, that the content of the music-genre stereotypes varied between genres, and that the stereotypes are geographically robust. The implications of this work for group processes and intergroup relations are discussed.

Self-categorization, status, and social influence

The domain of social influence is central to social psychology, and is claimed as a core aspect of the explanatory domain of two important theories: self-categorization theory and the theory of status characteristics and expectation states. In this paper we contrast predictions derived from each theory about the relative influence of group members who differ both on shared category membership and on status characteristics. In the first of two experiments, participants were asked to decide which of four people were most likely to know the correct answer to a task; shared group membership, relative group status, and relevant/irrelevant expertise were varied. We found both status and in-group identity effects. A second experiment provided evidence about the importance of perceptions of relative competence and similarity, as related to shared identity and status, in the influence process.

Social status and the pursuit of positive social identity: Systematic domains of intergroup differentiation and discrimination for high- and low- status groups.

Research on intergroup discrimination has focused on the cognitive and motivational mechanisms involved, but the role of stereotype content has been neglected. Drawing on social identity theory and stereotype content research, the current studies investigated the role of stereotype content in intergroup differentiation and discrimination. Across two studies, students from high- and low-status groups differentiated themselves positively on stereotypes of competence and warmth respectively, and in allocations of resources in domains relevant to competence (academics, research) and warmth (sports, community outreach). Furthermore, there was evidence that discrimination by high- and low-status groups was driven by their respective stereotypes of competence and warmth. It is argued that stereotypes of competence and warmth, derived from status and power relations between groups, define the domains in which groups pursue positively distinct identities.

Is the igeneration a ‘we’ generation? Social networking use among 9- to 13-year-olds and belonging

Research suggests that online communication is associated with increased closeness to friends and friendship quality. Children under 13 years of age are increasingly using social networking sites (SNSs), but research with this younger age group is scarce. This study examined the relationship between SNS use and feelings of belonging among children aged 9-13 years. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 443 children (48.98% boys), asking about their SNS use and their sense of belonging to their friendship group. SNS users reported a stronger sense of belonging to their friendship group than non-users, but this was found only among older boys. Furthermore, among boy SNS users, a positive linear relationship was found between the intensity of usage and feelings of belonging. No significant relationships were found for girls. These findings suggest that boys who use these sites are gaining friendship benefits over and above those boys who are non-users or low-intensity users. Longitudinal studies should investigate the causal relationships between SNS use and social effects within this age group.

Geek or Chic? Emerging Stereotypes of Online Gamers.

The present study sought to examine the extent to which the cultural portrayal of online gamers, often in comical, caricatured, or sensational forms, has become transformed into sets of cognitive associations between the category and traits. A total of 342 participants completed an online survey in which they rated how applicable each of a list of traits was to the group of online gamers. Ratings were made for both personal beliefs (how participants themselves see gamers) and stereotypical beliefs (how most others see gamers). While these beliefs were highly consensual as stereotypes, personal beliefs varied, suggesting that the cultural portrayal of online gamers is beginning to shift into cognitive associations. The role of stereotypes in negotiating a group’s social position are discussed arguing that these stereotypes currently position online gamers as low in social status and socially peripheral. The function of the media in generating stereotypical representations of social groups and convincing the public of their validity is also discussed.

The Martini Effect and Social Networking Sites: Early adolescents, mobile social networking and connectedness to friends

The Martini Effect refers to being constantly connected to people through mobile devices; research into mobile phone use reports that its use may be related to feelings of connectedness. Social Networking Sites (SNSs) are becoming increasingly popular among early adolescents with the majority using them to stay in contact with existing friends. In addition, many adolescents use a range of mobile devices to access these sites. The present study compared feelings of belonging to the friendship group between SNS users who used a mobile device and those who did not. A self-report questionnaire was completed by 337 early adolescent SNS users (11–13 years, mean age = 12.28 years, SD = 0.73). Mobile device users were found to have significantly higher levels of belonging than non-mobile device users and this relationship was partially mediated by the frequency of use of SNSs. It is suggested that these mobile devices not only afford an opportunity for increased use of SNSs and therefore increased interaction with friends but that mobile device SNS users feel constantly connected to their friends.

Face gender and stereotypicality influence facial trait evaluation: counter-stereotypical female faces are negatively evaluated

The facial first impressions literature has focused on trait dimensions, with less research on how social categories (like gender) may influence first impressions of faces. Yet, social psychological studies have shown the importance of categories like gender in the evaluation of behaviour. We investigated whether face gender affects the positive or negative evaluation of faces in terms of first impressions. In Study 1, we manipulated facial gender stereotypicality, and in Study 2, facial trustworthiness or dominance, and examined the valence of resulting spontaneous descriptions of male and female faces. For both male and female participants, counter-stereotypical (masculine or dominant looking), female faces were perceived more negatively than facially stereotypical male or female faces. In Study 3, we examined how facial dominance and trustworthiness affected rated valence across 1,000 male and female ambient face images, and replicated the finding that dominance is more negatively evaluated for female faces. In Study 4, the same effect was found with short stimulus presentations. These findings integrate the facial first impressions literature with evaluative differences based on social categories.

Facial Stereotype Visualization Through Image Averaging

Facial stereotypes are cognitive representations of the facial characteristics of members of social groups. In this study, we examined the extent to which facial stereotypes for occupational groups were based on physiognomic cues to stereotypical social characteristics. In Experiment 1, participants rated the occupational stereotypicality of naturalistic face images. These ratings were then regressed onto independent ratings of the faces on 16 separate traits. These traits, particularly those relevant to the occupational stereotype, explained the majority of variance in occupational stereotypicality ratings. In Experiments 2 and 3, we used trait ratings to reconstruct stereotypical occupation faces from a separate set of images, using face averaging techniques. These reconstructed facial stereotypes were validated by separate groups of participants as conforming to the occupational stereotype. These results indicate that facial cues and group stereotypes are integrated through shared semantic content in the cognitive representations of groups.

The Effects of Boredom, Loneliness, and Distress Tolerance on Problem Internet Use Among University Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether boredom proneness and/or loneliness predict problem internet use (PIU) and whether these possible associations are moderated by distress tolerance. The study used a sample of 169 undergraduate university students known to be regular internet users, and measured the impact of PIU on their life by examining the relationship between PIU and academic performance. As predicted, boredom proneness was significantly associated with PIU and was a significant predictor of PIU in a model that included loneliness and distress tolerance. Loneliness was also significantly associated with both boredom and PIU, but was not a significant predictor of PIU in the model. There was no evidence that distress tolerance moderated either of these associations. As predicted, higher levels of PIU were associated with lower levels of academic performance, leading us to the conclusion that university students who are prone to experiencing boredom tend to use the internet to seek out more stimulating and satisfying activities, which in turn can lead to problematic internet use patterns that can negatively affect their academic performance.